A Classic Love Story
by Ocean87
Summary: During their seventh year as Head Boy and Girl, Hermione and Draco's tense relationship changes into love as they get to know one another.
1. Chapter One Summer's End

Chapter 1- Summer's End  
  
Tap, tap. Tap, tap.  
  
"Mmmm." The girl yawned as she rolled over in her bed, just waking up on the beautiful Sunday morning in late August.  
  
Tap, tap.  
  
She sighed with exasperation as she shuffled out of bed, but a  
bright smile lit up her face as she realized what was making the  
noise. She galloped to the window to let in the large, gray owl with  
two small letters attached to its talon.  
  
The girl grinned as she read the bright green, finely engraved  
lettering on the envelope of the first letter:  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
To Miss Hermione Granger  
The East Bedroom of the Second Floor  
4023 Weston Avenue  
Devon County, England  
  
"Finally!" Hermione shouted for joy.  
  
She quickly untied the letter from Roarke the owl, hurriedly  
patted its head and shooed the orange tabby cat Crookshanks away from  
Roarke. Roarke turned in its heel with an indignant "Hoo!" because  
Hermione had not even given it a morsel to eat.  
  
But Hermione was much too preoccupied to worry about an owl.  
The letter had come! Finally Hermione would find out if she or  
Lavender Brown had made Head Girl in their seventh year. Hermione  
figured she would win because of her better grades, but Lavender  
wasn't exactly a bad student either. Plus, Lavender was very popular  
with the rest of the students.  
  
"Oh please, oh please, oh please." Hermione's fingers trembled  
as she tore open the envelope and quickly unfolded the letter:  
  
Miss Hermione Granger,  
It is our pleasure here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and  
Wizardry to inform you that you have been selected by a panel of  
teachers and staff to be this year's Head Girl for Hogwarts. You will  
not be staying in the Gryffindor living quarters but the Head Girl and  
Head Boy living quarters, located on the second floor west wing.  
Congratulations, Hermione!  
  
-Head of Selection Committee of Hogwarts  
Professor McGonagall  
  
"YES!" Hermione shouted, and ran down the stairs to her parents,  
who were eating breakfast.  
  
"Mum, Dad! They've made me Head Girl! I'm Head Girl of  
Hogwarts this year!"  
  
Hermione's parents, being Muggle dentists, didn't know exactly  
what Hermione was talking about and therefore didn't realize just what  
an honor this was. However, Hermione acted as if it were very  
important, so it must have been so.  
  
"That's wonderful, honey! Congratulations!" Mr. Granger hugged  
his daughter as Mrs. Granger kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"I'm going to get my things into the car; we need to leave right  
away for King's Cross Station! I can't wait to tell Ron and Harry!"  
Hermione ran up the stairs to gather her already-packed suitcases.  
  
Meanwhile, Roarke had flown quite a distance in a short time to  
deliver the other letter. Roarke exhaustedly flew to the north  
bedroom of the fourth floor at the Malfoy Manor, and tapped on the  
window impatiently.  
  
The handsome boy inside rolled over in his black satin sheets to  
see what was making the noise. He glided out of bed to the window,  
not a smile on his face or an excited shout on his lips. Without even  
letting Roarke in, he quickly untied the letter and shoved Roarke  
away.  
  
"Go on, get out of here!" Roarke slowly flew away.  
  
The boy read the fancy green lettering on the envelope:  
  
To Mr. Draco Malfoy  
The North Bedroom of the Fourth Floor  
9382 Smithson Avenue  
Hampshire County, England  
  
"Of course, it was a given." Draco sighed as he slowly opened  
the letter:  
  
Mr. Draco Malfoy,  
It is our pleasure here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and  
Wizardry to inform you that you have been selected by a panel of  
teachers and staff to be this year's Head Boy for Hogwarts. You will  
not be staying in the Slytherin living quarters but the Head Girl and  
Head Boy living quarters, located on the second floor west wing.  
Congratulations, Draco!  
  
-Head of Selection Committee of Hogwarts  
Professor McGonagall  
"I wonder how much Father paid this time," Draco thought, as he  
began to get dressed.  
  
After eating breakfast alone at the huge table in the huge  
dining room, Draco called a house elf named Wendell to bring his bags  
down to the living room.  
  
"I will be departing for King's Cross Station by Floo powder.  
Go get my bags,"  
Draco commanded. The house elf was expected to obey any of his  
master's commands. However, this particular house elf had a friend  
with crazy notions named Dobby, and although Wendell was still very,  
very timid, he was learning a few things from Dobby.  
  
"Sir, may I say that Floo powder may not be the best choice in  
travel, because-"  
  
"You dare contradict me? Go!" Draco kicked Wendell out into the  
hall. "I will have you beaten for this, you hear me! Get my bags,  
get them now!"  
  
Draco could only hear snippets of "Yes sir, of course sir, sorry  
sir." traveling down the hall as Wendell tried to bow and run away at  
the same time.  
  
Draco was not surprised to see a different house elf futilely  
trying to shove four huge suitcases and a large trunk down the hall a  
while later.  
  
"Give me those, you stupid idiot. You lot aren't good for  
anything. I'll have you all fired." With that, Draco pulled his  
things into the large fireplace with him, tossed his Floo powder and  
yelled "King's Cross Station!" As he was spinning about, he sighed.  
His father had not even said goodbye, much less come down to dinner on  
his son's last day at home. "I don't care," thought Draco. "I don't  
care." 


	2. Chapter Two Reunions

(A/N)- Hey everyone, thanks for reading my story! I hope you like it! Please review if you like it, or if you have any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Also, please no flames, this is my first fanfic ever and I'm trying to get the hang of it! Tell your friends about it too. I think this is going to be a long story, so don't worry Draco and Hermione will get together, even though it's not in this chapter, and I don't think in the next one either. But never fear, it will happen. Since it is now summer for me I will try to update as often as I can. I think it will be like every other day or something, we'll see. Anyways, I hope you like the story!  
  
P.S.- In the first chapter, at the very end the word "dinner" is supposed to be "breakfast." My bad. (  
  
Chapter Two- Reunions  
  
"Harry! Ron! Over here!" Hermione shouted as she waved at her two best friends through the thick glass of the train window. Luckily they saw her and waved back. In a few minutes the two boys dragged their trunks into the compartment, complaining about how all the good storage areas were filled up.  
  
"Well, maybe if you two weren't cutting it so close you would have been here in time to store your bags," Hermione reprimanded. Then she remembered her big news.  
  
"Oh my gosh, you guys will never believe what happened! I'm going to be-"  
  
"Head Girl, I know, Lavender's pretty upset." Hermione was cut short by Ron, who had been dating Lavender since their fifth year. "But don't worry Hermione, I didn't let her bad mouth you or anything."  
  
Hermione smiled. She and Lavender used to be good friends, along with Ginny Weasley, but the Head Girl competition really turned Lavender against Hermione. "Thanks, Ron. Hopefully we can get back to being friends this year."  
  
"Well, congratulations anyway Hermione, you earned it," Harry said.  
  
"Thanks, Harry. But I can't live in the Gryffindor living quarters! There are special quarters this year, for just the Head Girl and Head Boy," Hermione said.  
  
"Damn! We'll still see you at meals though, right? And classes, and you can visit us and we can visit you. Right?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes, so really nothing will change. I just hope I like the Head Boy, whoever he is. The letter didn't say. But I'll find out soon enough! So Harry, how was your summer with the Dursleys?"  
  
"Same as always," Harry replied. "But this year I actually got cake on my birthday! Not a whole one, but Uncle Vernon's office had some party for a client and he brought home a piece for me and four for Dudley. I could hardly believe it, and he acted like it was completely normal to give me cake on my birthday."  
  
"Maybe the old man's softening up a bit," Ron said. All three looked at each other and burst out laughing.  
  
"Hey you guys, why don't you go get Ginny and Lavender? They can sit with us for a while," Hermione suggested. Harry and Ginny had also been going out since Harry's fifth year, and Ginny's fourth. Hermione had dated a few boys, like Seamus Finnegan and Oliver Wood, but none of them had worked out. Although she would never admit it, she was lonely and a bit jealous that her friends were all paired up. But aside from those feelings that flared up once in a while, Hermione was also happy for them. Sort of.  
  
"Alright, let's go Harry." Ron and Harry left the compartment. Although everything was going right for Hermione, she sighed. It was becoming one of those lonely days that came every now and then. One tear slipped down Hermione's face as she wondered if she would ever find someone special.  
  
"What is wrong with me?" Hermione thought to herself. "What the hell is wrong with me?" Hermione had grown into a beautiful woman. She was tall and slender and feminine, but strong and commanded respect. Her hair had turned from bushy to silky and long, and she had a sweet face and gorgeous brown eyes. Most importantly, she had turned from a know-it-all into a smart, sensible, humble young woman. She couldn't figure out what she was missing.  
  
Hermione smiled with watery eyes, and gave herself the pep talk she always needed at the beginning of each year. "This is the year, I'll find him this year," she thought to herself.  
  
At that moment, Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Lavender climbed into the already small compartment. Hermione quickly brushed at her eyes and smiled.  
  
"Hey everyone!" After many hugs and laughter, the five sat down, squished together, and began to talk about the summer and the school year ahead. Ron must have told Lavender to be nice, because although she was somewhat distant to Hermione, she was perfectly polite and congratulated her on receiving the Head Girl position. While the teenagers laughed and joked, a less happy reunion was occurring down the train.  
  
"You stupid blokes, you were supposed to find out who the Head Girl is!" Draco shouted at Crabbe and Goyle, his two lackeys. "You can't even do that, can you?" Draco sat down in the tiny compartment. He had shown up even later than Harry and Ron and almost missed the train. It turned out Floo powder wasn't the best way to travel because of course there was no fireplace at the train station. Draco had mentally kicked himself for forgetting that important fact. He had had to walk six blocks with all his bags from the nearest diner, which was the closest place with a fireplace. Needless to say, Draco's seventh year was not starting on the right foot. Now he had assigned his "friends" with a small task and even that was not accomplished.  
  
"Go away, leave me alone." Draco glared out the window of the moving train, wondering why his life was like this. His father didn't love him, his mother died in his fifth year, and he hated his friends. All in all he was completely dissatisfied with his life. But something else was tearing away at Draco's heart, something he would never tell anybody. He had no one to love, and no one to love him in return. Draco had girls falling at his feet, but they were all after his money, or just lusting after his looks. Draco was indeed worth lusting after. He had cut his silver-blond hair short, and now wisps of it hung on his forehead with the rest falling back into place. He had a handsome face and amazing silver eyes. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong jaw line. Quidditch had strengthened his body. But Draco didn't pay attention to any girl, especially Pansy Parkinson who claimed they were dating. The truth was, Draco was waiting for someone special, even though he didn't realize it.  
  
The train ride passed uneventfully, and soon the train reached its grand destination. Hogwarts loomed ahead of Draco out the window, and in spite of himself he smiled. The only place that almost felt like a home should feel. Draco grabbed his many suitcases and lugged them out of the train, and was about to put them into a carriage when a house elf approached him.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, the Head Boy and Head Girl have a special carriage at the front, sir." The house elf grabbed the smallest bag. "Follow me, please, sir."  
  
Draco silently picked up his bags and followed. He reached the huge, beautiful carriage, put his bags in, and sat down to once again moodily stare out the window.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione was also about to board another carriage with Harry and Ginny when a different house elf approached her for the same reason. "See you at dinner!" Hermione left with the house elf.  
  
When Hermione had at last reached the first carriage, she also put in her bags and climbed in. The boy she saw sitting there made her gasp.  
  
"Malfoy! You're Head Boy?" Hermione shouldn't have been surprised. The Malfoys had tons of money and tons of power.  
  
Draco coolly turned his head toward her.  
  
"Oh, it's you Granger. I should have known. You do after all, have the best grades. But that's only because you have no life and spend Friday nights studying in the library." This was one of those days when Hermione felt especially lonely, and the comment hit her hard.  
  
"So, tell me, how much did your father pay this time, Malfoy?" Hermione asked sweetly.  
  
"I got in on my own, thank you! And I would appreciate it if you would shut your damn mouth!" Unbeknownst to Hermione, Draco was having a lonely day as well.  
  
The two didn't speak the rest of the ride there, and not even when they were walking to their living quarters. When they came upon the portrait of a unicorn, the entrance to their common room, Hermione stated that they would have to agree on a password.  
  
"How about earthly? That's the meaning of my name," Hermione said.  
  
"Ask me if I care, Granger. Dragon, my name. That's the password," Draco commanded.  
  
Hermione sighed, and said "Earthly dragon," to the portrait. It swung open, and the two entered. Even Draco gasped as they walked in. Their common room was huge, with rich mahogany furniture, a roaring fire in the fireplace, a bookshelf filled with books covering an entire wall, and a huge window facing the west, with a view of the lake and the Forbidden Forest. Two corridors branched off on either side of the window, leading to their separate bedrooms.  
  
"It's so beautiful," whispered Hermione. She ran her fingers on the arm of a luxurious couch.  
  
Even being used to riches didn't prepare Draco for the magnificence of this room. But he couldn't let Hermione know. "Yeah, it's nice I guess," Draco replied casually. Without another word, he stalked away to his room, leaving Hermione alone looking after him. 


	3. Just a quick Author's Note

(A/N)- Rogue Sequin, you are correct. I am American, not English, therefore I don't know everything about England and I spell some words differently. If my nationality or style of writing offends you, I suggest you stop reading my story. Anyways, I'm going to be extremely busy the rest of this week, so at the VERY latest my next chapter update will be Monday, June 9th. I'm hoping to work a little bit on Chapter Three every day this week, so hopefully it will come out even before Monday. Stick with me, good things are coming! Thank you so much for the reviews and support! I'm really glad you guys like my story! -Ocean87 


	4. Chapter Three Can I Talk to You?

(A/N)- Just a quick chapter to keep you wonderful readers (and reviewers) interested while I'm busy. thanks again! After this chapter, Draco and Hermione get together, I PROMISE.  
  
(Disclaimer)- I don't know if I actually have to write this, but J.K. Rowling owns everything, and I sadly do not.  
  
Chapter Three- "Can I Talk to You?"  
  
Draco trudged up the stairs to his room, thinking not about how bad his day was, but about Hermione.  
  
"Damn! Since when did she get so beautiful?" The thought slipped out unchecked. "Shut up Malfoy, she's a Mudblood." But deep down inside, Draco knew she had changed.  
  
When he opened the door to his room, he gasped for the second time that day. It wasn't as big as the common room, but it was still huge. The room had a silver and green theme for Slytherin. The furniture was made of chrome, and the walls were alternately painted green and silver. There was green door leading off into the bathroom. The huge bed had green sheets with a silver bedspread. There was even a large silver couch.  
  
"Wow," Draco said out loud. He wondered if Hermione's room was as nice. After looking around for a bit, Draco pulled his suitcases onto the bed and began to unpack.  
  
Hermione had almost the same reaction when she opened the door to her room. She drew in a sharp breath as she saw the lush red-oak furniture, and the king-size bed with gold sheets and a red bedspread. Hermione's room of course had a Gryffindor theme, with red and gold paint splashed on the walls. [A/N- Someone will probably point out to me that the colors of Gryffindor are red and yellow, but I think gold is much prettier so I'm going to use it]. She too began to unpack her bags while gazing about her in wonder.  
  
When Hermione was almost finished, she began thinking about her friends and wondering if her relationships would change now that she was Head Girl. Eventually, her thoughts turned toward Draco.  
  
"He's so handsome," thought Hermione. "For a snob," she quickly added. Although she didn't like him, she had to admit he had changed for the better, appearance-wise.  
  
Draco and Hermione entered their common room at the same time to go down to dinner after unpacking. Hermione stiffened when she saw Draco, and then sighed.  
  
"Can I talk to you?" She asked. "You know, in a civilized conversation."  
  
Draco gave her a bored look. "Make it quick, Granger, I'm starving."  
  
Hermione licked her lips and began to speak in a gentle, patient voice. "Listen, we're in our seventh year. We're supposed to have fun and enjoy the last time we're here, and I can't do that if you and I are going to either fight or barely speak to each other. I'm certainly not asking to be your best friend; I was just wondering if we could both make an effort to be civil to each other this year, since we're living so close together. Does that sound reasonable to you?"  
  
Surprisingly, Draco walked closer to Hermione to talk. She thought maybe she had gotten through to him, and she could actually enjoy her seventh year without feeling tense all the time. Looking down at her, Draco smiled and said, "Sure thing. Mudblood."  
  
Hermione gasped and slapped him with all her strength. Trying to control the tears in her eyes, she whispered fiercely, "How could I even expect you to be human?" She bolted up the stairs to her room as fast as she could go, trying to wipe her hot tears away.  
  
Draco watched her go, regret throbbing in his smarting cheek. He shook his head. "Dammit Malfoy!" He muttered to himself. "Why do you always have to screw up? One chance at proving you're not your father, and you blow it!" He stalked down to dinner, angry at the world, but mostly at himself.  
  
Hermione cried on her bed, angry at herself as well because Draco made her cry. "I shouldn't let him get to me so much," she sniffed. "He's just getting what he wants by making me mad." Hermione hit her fist on the pillow. She was hungry, but she couldn't go down to dinner and see him with his friends, laughing and joking and not caring about how much he had hurt her.  
  
"Hermione, calm down." She gave herself her second pep talk of the day. "This is Malfoy we're talking about, you can't expect anything decent of him. Just go down to dinner, and act like everything's alright. And then ignore him for the rest of the year, because he obviously is not going to even try to get along." Hermione took a few deep breaths, splashed her face with cold water from her bathroom, and went down to dinner. 


	5. Another quick AN

(A/N)- I'm so sorry about no updates lately! Fanfiction.net wouldn't let me upload, then I was out of town, and so many more things came up! But thankfully I have written Chapter Four, and I will post it tomorrow, so you will either be able to read it tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday. Thank you for being so patient! I hope you continue to like the story! -Ocean87 


	6. Chapter Four Revelations

(A/N)- I hope you guys like this chapter!  
  
(Disclaimer)- I still don't own anything.  
  
Chapter Four- Revelations  
  
Because the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables were on opposite sides of Great Hall, it was easier to ignore Draco than Hermione had initially suspected. She actually had a good time visiting with friends she hadn't seen all summer, eating a huge meal, and forgetting about her problems. Harry and Ron knew something was wrong, but after a while Hermione really began to relax and they decided to drop it. First year students were sorted, and Dumbledore made his beginning of the year speech. He also announced the year's Head Boy and Head Girl, and the Prefects, but other than that unpleasant reminder Hermione forgot all about Draco. After chatting for a while when the meal was over, Hermione said her goodbyes and left Great Hall.  
  
She trudged up the stairs to her room, tired after the long meal. She glanced at her watch: 10:43 p.m. Hermione yawned. "And I have classes tomorrow!" She thought. When she reached the portrait of the unicorn, she sleepily murmured "Earthly dragon" and climbed in.  
  
Much to Hermione's surprise, Draco was sitting on the couch, pensively staring into the fire when she entered. Unbeknownst to her, Draco had left Great Hall right after being announced as Head Boy. He wasn't in the mood for a feast after the incident with Hermione. Draco turned to look at her.  
  
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Hermione said coldly. "I figured you would be partying all night with your Slytherin friends." Hermione strided towards her staircase.  
  
"Hermione." Draco stood, and placed his hand on her arm as she passed him. Hermione instantly pulled away, shocked. She stared at him with confusion written all over her face.  
  
"Did you just call me Hermione?" She asked incredulously.  
  
Draco quickly put his hand at his side, and looked down at the ground. He seemed nervous. "I'msorryIcalledyouaMudblood," he muttered.  
  
"What?" Hermione demanded, still wondering what the hell was going on.  
  
Draco sighed, looked up at the ceiling, and then looked at Hermione. "I said, I'm sorry I called you a Mudblood."  
  
Hermione stared at him. "You've never apologized to me before. Why are you apologizing now, after all these years?"  
  
Draco looked away again. "You wanna know the truth?" He asked hostilely. His eyes turned hard. "My father would love it if I cut you down and called you a Mudblood whenever I could. But I'm not going to be like him, dammit! I'm tired of trying to please him. So I'm sorry." Draco softened. "I know it's a little late, but yes, I would like to try and be civil to each other this year. If the offer is still up."  
  
Hermione's initial shock was giving way to pity, much to her astonishment. He just looked so sad and alone. "Why am I starting to feel sorry for him?" She thought. But Hermione knew. Draco had never known love, while Hermione had been surrounded by it all her life.  
  
Hermione swallowed hard. "Yes, the offer is still up."  
  
Draco gave her a half-smile and turned to go to his room.  
  
Hermione didn't want to waste this moment. She was too interested in him now to let him go just like that. She had never seen Draco show so much emotion when talking about his father. Hermione was intrigued.  
  
"Draco, wait--"  
  
Draco wearily turned to her.  
  
Hermione hesitated, thinking. "If I don't ask now, he'll never tell me. Dammit Hermione, just do it!"  
  
She licked her lips. "Why do you hate your father, Draco?"  
  
Draco's eyes hardened, but he thought he heard caring in Hermione's voice. Her voice sounded so much like his mother's. Eighteen years of teaching had told him to never reveal his true feelings, but that night the burden had become too much for him. Draco's shoulders slumped, and he put his head in his hands. After a few moments, he raised his head to Hermione, and began to speak.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
They talked for hours, about anything and everything. Neither of them could believe it, but they could really talk to each other. During that time, Hermione and Draco began to understand one another. It wasn't fast, and it wasn't easy, but it happened. They realized they actually had some things in common. Both were only children, although they grew up in very different circumstances. They even laughed together at Draco's hilarious impersonation of Snape, who he hated as well. After a few hours, the conversation turned to dating.  
  
"Draco, how could you date Pansy? She's just so.overbearing," Hermione said.  
  
Draco laughed. "Believe me, we're not dating. She just claims we are to anyone who'll listen. But what about you? I mean, Seamus Finnegan?"  
  
Hermione playfully hit him. "Seamus is very nice! It just didn't work out to date him." Hermione paused. "It didn't work out to date anybody, actually," she added. Hermione looked down, desperately trying to push the lonely feeling away.  
  
"Yeah, me neither," Draco agreed.  
  
"The Prince of Slytherin has girls falling at his feet, and he can't pick one of them?" Hermione teased.  
  
Draco smiled. "They're all so much like Pansy, so dumb and fake." He looked at Hermione shyly. "It's nice to finally meet a girl who isn't," he added softly.  
  
Hermione looked up into his eyes, her heart pounding. Draco leaned closer to her. Hermione couldn't breathe. Without stopping him, without wanting to, Hermione let him gently kiss her lips. Draco slowly pulled away, terror in his eyes. Staring at Hermione, he desperately whispered, "Please don't hate me," and ran to his room. 


	7. AN

(A/N)- Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for no updates, but I've been sick for the past week and I wasn't even able to get out of bed to write. I'm not totally better but I am writing a short chapter to keep you guys interested. I'll try to post it tomorrow. Once I'm feeling totally better the updates will be more regular. Thanks for reading, please stick with me! -Ocean87 


	8. Chapter Five One Step Forward, Two Steps...

(A/N)- Enjoy!  
  
(Disclaimer)- I own nothing, blah blah blah.  
  
Chapter Five- One Step Forward, Two Steps Back  
  
Hermione was left alone on the couch, trembling. She felt faint and dizzy.  
  
"Oh my." Her head was spinning. She could hardly believe what had just happened. Heat was creeping into her face, but her body felt numb.  
  
"Classes tomorrow. I need to go to bed," she thought. Thinking about Draco was too much to handle at the moment.  
  
"I'll deal with it tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow." Hermione climbed her own set of stairs, trying to keep her mind off Draco. She quickly changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. Although she was very tired, her thoughts about Draco and the kiss kept her awake.  
  
"He's supposed to be my enemy. but he kissed me! Draco Malfoy kissed me! (and it was wonderful)" said a small voice in the back of Hermione's mind. "Oh my gosh, shut up, Hermione!" She quickly corrected herself out loud. But it was no use. No matter how many times Hermione denied it, the small voice kept telling her she wanted Draco to kiss her again.  
  
Meanwhile, Draco couldn't sleep a wink either. He tossed and turned, unable to forget the incident.  
  
"What were you thinking, Malfoy?! She's gonna hate you forever. It's always one step forward, two steps back with you, isn't it?" Draco chided himself for his rash move. "Why did I do that, why?! Now I have no chance with her. Dammit! I shouldn't even want a chance with her! It's HERMIONE GRANGER, Miss Know-It-All." Draco sighed miserably. He was so confused. He actually wanted Hermione to be his girlfriend. "Talking all night tends to change your view of someone, Malfoy," Draco thought sarcastically. "But no, of course you screwed that up!" He purposely hit his head on the headboard, punctuating each word. "Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Having not slept a minute the night before, Draco rose early at five to ensure that he would not meet Hermione before breakfast. The thought of seeing her made Draco want to melt away, never to be seen again. Unfortunately, Hermione had exactly the same idea since she didn't sleep at all either. They entered their shared common room at the same time. The unexpected sight of each other caused both to gasp.  
  
"Draco! Wh-What are you doing up so early?" Hermione nervously fumbled with her books. "Come on Hermione, calm down!" She pleaded with herself to stop her voice from trembling. She was afraid Draco would see right through her, see that she was beginning to care for him.  
  
He strolled to the door leading out into the hallway. "Same as you, Granger." Draco had reverted back to his cold, contemptuous tone of voice to protect himself from being hurt. Eighteen years of life without love had taught Draco to never leave himself vulnerable, a skill that he thought he had mastered. until last night. During the sleepless night, however, he had put a hard shell around his heart so Hermione couldn't hurt him. He didn't know that she had no intention of doing so.  
  
His frosty words stung Hermione. "But Draco, don't you think we should talk about last-" Hermione was cut short.  
  
"Last night, Granger," Draco said, "was nothing more than a temporary weakness of mine." He smiled coldly. "See you in Double Potions." With that, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hermione spent the day irritated with everyone. Harry and Ron tried to find out what was troubling her, but they only got looks of exasperation. Every now and then they heard what sounded like mutterings of "Men!" from under Hermione's breath. However, as Double Potions drew near Hermione grew silent.  
  
"Almost looks like she's going to be sick, doesn't it, Harry?" Ron whispered in History of Magic.  
  
"Double Potions is bad, but honestly, she's much better at it than we are! She shouldn't worry about it so much," Harry whispered back.  
  
"Alright Hermione, you've ignored him before, you can do it again," Hermione thought to herself as her mind wandered as Professor Binns droned on about leprechaun battles in the 1500s.  
  
Needless to say, Double Potions was a tense class for both Hermione and Draco. Each was determined to not even glance in the direction of the other.  
  
"Well, Malfoy seems to be laying off us a bit, eh Ron?" Harry commented as he stirred his brown concoction. "He hasn't stolen our ingredients or knocked over our cauldrons or anything."  
  
"I wonder why," replied Ron thoughtfully. "He hasn't even looked our way today."  
  
Hermione made a small, exasperated noise in the back of her throat. Ron and Harry looked over at her.  
  
"Living with him getting to you, Hermione?" asked Ron cheerfully.  
  
Hermione glared at the snake skin she was adding to her bubbling cauldron. "It's harder than you know," she answered tersely.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After dinner, Hermione declined Harry's invitation to play Wizard's Chess in the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"No, I have too much homework. We have too much homework, for that matter. See you both tomorrow." Hermione left Great Hall.  
  
Upon reaching her common room and ensuring that Draco wasn't already there, Hermione sat down on the couch and began to do her homework.  
  
About an hour later, Draco walked in. Hermione's head shot up, then quickly looked back down at her parchment.  
  
"Hello," she said casually, not looking in Draco's direction. Hermione hoped Draco wouldn't catch the quiver in her voice.  
  
"Evening," he said back, just as coolly.  
  
Hermione's fury erupted at the sound of his indifferent, uncaring voice.  
  
"You know, some people don't just sweep things under the rug and pretend that nothing happened, some people just talk about it!" She burst out.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't be one of them, would I?" Draco retorted hotly.  
  
"Well I am! Acting like nothing happened isn't going to help! I mean, obviously you had to have had some kind of feelings for me to just kiss me-"  
  
"Of course I have feelings for you!" Draco shouted. Then he froze. "Damn, did I just say that?" He thought to himself.  
  
Hermione stopped in shock. "You-you do?" She asked timidly.  
  
"I mean, well, wh-what I meant was, um." Draco trailed off, looking down at the floor. "Damn her!" He thought. "I can't even lie right anymore!" He was so tongue-tied when he was around Hermione.  
  
Hermione walked closer to him, and reached out her hand. "Why am I doing this?" She thought to herself. "He's just going to hurt me again." But Hermione couldn't stop herself from gently touching his hand. It was like some invisible force was drawing them together. She looked up into his eyes, and smiled.  
  
"I like you, too," she said quietly.  
  
"I-I thought you would hate me," Draco said, taking her hand in his. "After last night."  
  
Hermione smiled again. She reached up to Draco's face, caressing his cheek with her hand. Pulling him towards her, she kissed him softly on the lips. He welcomed her into his arms, both feeling a growing sensation neither had ever experienced.  
  
"Goodnight," Hermione whispered as they parted.  
  
"Goodnight," Draco whispered back.  
  
Hermione slowly walked to her staircase, a smile creeping up her face. She paused on the bottom step, and looked back at the handsome boy across the room.  
  
Hermione blushed with pleasure, and then climbed the stairs to her bedroom. 


	9. Chapter Six Tuesday Evening

Chapter Six- Tuesday Evening  
  
"It all happened so fast!" Hermione remarked to Ginny the next day. Ginny was visiting Hermione's dormitory after dinner and classes, and Hermione was updating Ginny on everything that had happened. At first Ginny had been skeptical that Draco could possibly have a soft side, but was eventually convinced after Hermione had told her the whole story.  
  
"I mean, one day he's my enemy, and the next we're kissing!" Hermione sighed with joy. "I haven't been this happy in a long time," she said, looking over at Ginny and smiling.  
  
Ginny giggled. Hermione's cheerfulness was contagious. "I know how you feel. When Harry asked me out, I was on top of the world."  
  
"I know!" laughed Hermione, throwing a pillow at Ginny. "I had to listen to you moon over him for months!"  
  
"So where is Draco now?" Ginny asked, glancing around Hermione's open door into her and Draco's empty common room.  
  
"It's his first shift out patrolling the halls," Hermione answered. "My first shift is tomorrow night. Hey Ginny, promise me you won't tell Ron or Harry about Draco and me. I just know they wouldn't accept him like you. Promise?" Hermione pleaded.  
  
"But I tell Harry everything!" Ginny protested. "And besides, they're going to find out sooner or later." Hermione gave her a sad, overly-mournful look. Ginny sighed. "Oh fine, but if you don't tell them soon I will," she warned.  
  
Hermione squealed and hugged Ginny, who then glanced at her watch. "Well, it's almost nine o'clock and I still have some homework to do. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast?"  
  
"Sure," said Hermione as Ginny walked out the unicorn portrait.  
  
Hermione remembered she had her own homework to finish. As she took her quills, parchment, and books out of her bag, she smiled.  
  
"For once, everything is working out this year!" She thought. "Boyfriend, Head Girl, and Ginny isn't going to tell Ron and Harry!" Hermione stopped. Ron and Harry. She hadn't been exactly friendly to them until today, and they were probably wondering what was going on with her and her extreme mood swings. She hadn't yet stopped at the Gryffindor common room to see how they were doing this year.  
  
Hermione looked at her watch. "Just a quick visit with them, then I'll do my homework."  
  
Apparently Ginny had already reached the Gryffindor common room, because Hermione didn't meet her in the halls on the way there. Nor did she meet Draco out patrolling, unfortunately.  
  
Hermione reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, and pulled out a small sheet of paper that Dumbledore had given her. On it were the passwords to all four Houses' common rooms.  
  
"Chocolate Frogs," Hermione said, and the portrait swung open. As she walked into the crowded, noisy common room, a pang of nostalgia hit Hermione. No matter how many times she complained about the noise to Ron and Harry over the past six years, Hermione realized she actually missed these evenings in the common room. She quickly shook off the feeling and searched for Harry and Ron. She found them sitting on two huge armchairs near the fireplace, playing Wizard's Chess. Ginny was sitting on the couch across from them, absorbed in a huge book labeled One Thousand and One Lethal Magical Creatures. Hermione smiled; Ginny reminded her of herself.  
  
"And why aren't you two completing your homework?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron in mock severity. "Ginny here seems to be working hard at her studies."  
  
"We already finished," said Harry, laughing as Ron's knight smashed his pawn.  
  
"Well, you'll be pleased to know I've only done about half of mine," Hermione said ruefully.  
  
"Did you hear that Harry, for once we beat her!" said Ron gleefully. "First time in six years!"  
  
"So how are you guys? Seems like the common room is as crowded as ever," said Hermione, as she glanced around the room. Lavender Brown was doing her very best to ignore Hermione as she chatted with Parvati Patil.  
  
"We're fine," answered Ron. "So Hermione, how is it being Head Girl when Malfoy is Head Boy?"  
  
"Oh!" Hermione glanced worriedly at Ginny, whose head had shot up at the sound of Draco's name. "It's-it's-We just don't really see each other, you know, what with hall patrol and everything," Hermione finished. Ginny looked at her warily before resuming her reading.  
  
"But anyways, Transfiguration was rather hard today, wasn't it?" said Hermione quickly, desperate to change the subject.  
  
"I couldn't believe McGonagall." Ron chattered away happily, but Harry looked from Ginny to Hermione, who were both trying to pay no attention to him. He knew something was up, but figured Hermione would tell him in time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The four talked for another hour, but when Ginny finally finished her homework Hermione was reminded of her own.  
  
Hermione excused herself and climbed out of the portrait hole. As she walked down the halls, she remembered that Draco's patrolling shift ended at ten o'clock.  
  
"Maybe he'll already be there!" thought Hermione excitedly. She quickened her pace.  
  
"Earthly dragon," she muttered impatiently. The unicorn portrait opened and Hermione stepped inside.  
  
Draco was sitting in an armchair, doing his own homework. He looked up to see Hermione standing in the doorway, smiling. He smiled back and put his homework aside.  
  
"I was wondering where you were," said Draco as Hermione sat on the arm of his chair.  
  
"Ginny was here for a while, then I went to visit Ron and Harry," Hermione answered.  
  
"Oh." Draco's voice had turned cold. "You didn't tell them about us, did you?"  
  
"No, of course not," said Hermione, not mentioning the fact that she had told Ginny. Draco's change of tone was not lost on her. "But Draco, please try to like Harry and Ron, or at least tolerate them. They've been my best friends for six years, and you can't expect me to just drop them."  
  
At Draco's look of supreme annoyance, Hermione pleaded again.  
  
"Please Draco? It would mean so much to me if you would just try."  
  
Draco sighed. The thought of Hermione spending time with any boy (or boys) other than himself made him more jealous than he had ever been in his life.  
  
Draco looked into Hermione's worried eyes, and couldn't help smiling. "I guess I could try," he said reluctantly. He was still staring into Hermione's eyes, and wasn't exactly sure what he had just agreed to.  
  
"Oh thank you Draco, you're the best! I'll try and get Ron and Harry to be nice to you, too." Hermione quickly bent down and kissed Draco on the cheek.  
  
"Now I really have to get to that homework!" said Hermione, standing by the chair while searching the room for her school supplies. "I thought I put them right over there."  
  
"Not so fast, Miss Granger." Draco's tone had turned playful; the kiss on the cheek had quickly changed his mood.  
  
Draco pulled an unsuspecting Hermione down into his lap. She shrieked and giggled, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco put one arm around Hermione's waist, and pulled her closer. With his other hand, he reached up and guided Hermione's lips to his for a soft kiss.  
  
These gentle, soft kisses soon turned to passionate ones. Hermione ran her hands through Draco's hair, and Draco pressed his hand into the small of Hermione's back, urging her even closer.  
  
"I believe. my homework. can wait." murmured Hermione breathlessly. 


	10. Chapter Seven To Tell or Not To Tell?

Chapter Seven- To Tell or Not To Tell?  
  
And so the days continued. Ginny kept Hermione and Draco's secret, but reminded Hermione often to tell Ron and Harry herself.  
  
"Hermione, I'm tired of reminding you, and Harry and Ron know something is up!" whispered Ginny anxiously at breakfast one morning in mid- September. Harry and Ron were at the other end of the table, reading the latest "Crazy Quidditch" magazine with Neville, Seamus, and Dean. "I mean, you've been sneaking around, lying, and you've only visited us twice in the evenings. I know the reason, but they're getting concerned. I've even had to lie to them so they wouldn't catch you in one of your lies!"  
  
Hermione could see Ginny was truly upset.  
  
"I know, Ginny, and I'm going to tell them, but Draco isn't ready to be even civilized to them yet," said Hermione.  
  
"Like Ron and Harry would be civilized to Draco? They don't have to see each other, they just have to know that you and Draco are together. Today is September 17th, right? So I'll give you until October 1st to tell them. If you don't tell them by then, I will, and they will be twice as mad if they hear it from me."  
  
Ginny picked up her books.  
  
"October 1st," she warned, and quickly walked out of Great Hall.  
  
Hermione groaned. "October 1st?" she thought. "I better tell Draco to pick up the pace on his tolerating."  
  
There were still at least fifteen minutes left to eat breakfast, but Hermione pushed away her plate of toast and eggs and stood up. She gathered her books and walked toward Ron and Harry.  
  
"I have to go to the library to start a project with Malfoy for Dumbledore," said Hermione, making a disgusted face. "I'll see you two in Herbology, all right?"  
  
"See you there," said Harry.  
  
"Bye," answered Ron.  
  
"And another lie slips out," thought Hermione sarcastically.  
  
Hermione and Draco had developed a rather simple code for the times when they needed to see each other privately but were in public. They would walk up to each other, acting as contemptuous as ever, and say they needed to talk about some private Head Boy/Head Girl business. They had successfully used the code twice already, but it was still hard for both of them to even talk to each other in public while receiving hateful glares from the rival house.  
  
That was exactly the part Hermione hated. She took a deep breath and walked towards the Slytherin table, aware that heads were turning to watch her. As she got closer to the Slytherin table, she saw Pansy Parkinson sitting right next to Draco, cooing over him. Hermione's heart flared with jealousy, and she marched over to the pair.  
  
"Malfoy!" she barked, and then realized how loud her voice was. She glanced guiltily around the room, then focused her attention back on Draco.  
  
"We have to start that project for Dumbledore," she said, realizing that every Slytherin was glowering at her.  
  
Draco sighed, feigning extreme irritation. "Fine, Granger, let's get started." He stood up and began to gather his books, but was stopped by Pansy's arms thrown around his waist.  
  
"Oh, don't go, Draco! She's just a nasty Gryffindor. Don't you want to stay here with me?" Pansy pleaded, her voice sicky-sweet, as she squeezed the breath out of Draco.  
  
Draco tried to wrench Pansy's arms off him. "Get off, Pansy!" he managed to gasp out. She finally let go, and Draco jumped out of her reach. Hermione had already begun to leave, and Draco quickly followed her.  
  
Pansy sniffed as if she had been crying. "Bye, Draco!" she called pitifully.  
  
Draco ignored her. "That girl!" he thought, annoyed. "I wouldn't be surprised if my ribs were bruised."  
  
Although the hall outside was empty and Hermione and Draco were well out of sight of Great Hall, Hermione had not slowed or even waited for Draco to catch up.  
  
"Not that this is a bad view. . ." Draco's mind wandered as he watched Hermione walk ahead of him. "But she seems really mad." He quickly snapped back to his senses.  
  
"Hermione, wait up!" he called.  
  
Hermione stopped, but still didn't face him.  
  
"Come on, Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco asked as he came up beside her and slipped his arm around her waist.  
  
"It's just that Pansy!" cried Hermione, turning to face him. "She's all over you, all the time!"  
  
Draco almost smiled. "She's jealous!" he thought excitedly. But he quickly cleared his throat and said, "You know I can't stand her, she bothers me just as much as she bothers you."  
  
"That's true, she does annoy me," Hermione said grudgingly.  
  
"But what about Potter and Weasley? You spend a lot of time with them," Draco said, an unconscious hint of his own jealousy in his voice.  
  
"Apparently not enough," Hermione muttered darkly.  
  
"What's that?" Draco asked.  
  
Hermione sighed. "Ginny said that if I don't tell Harry and Ron about us by October 1st, she will, and-"  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute, back up. Ginny knows about us?!"  
  
Hermione winced, realizing her mistake. "Yes, I told her a long time ago. . ."  
  
Now it was Draco who was muttering darkly.  
  
"Well I'm sorry Draco, but I couldn't just keep the good news to myself!" Hermione cried.  
  
Draco looked over at her, trying to still be mad, but ended up laughing instead.  
  
"I think you just complimented me in an indirect way," he said, taking Hermione's hand as they continued to walk down the hall.  
  
"So you're not mad?" Hermione asked timidly.  
  
Draco smiled at her. "No, I'm not, as long as she doesn't tell anyone else."  
  
Hermione sighed with relief. "Good, because she hasn't. But she is going to tell Ron and Harry about us if I don't by October 1st."  
  
Draco looked at Hermione and saw how torn she was.  
  
"So you want to keep your friends," he said, almost bitterly. It was a statement, not a question.  
  
"But I want to keep you, too!" Hermione quickly added, desperate for him to understand.  
  
"Hermione, you know there's no way they're going to accept me," Draco said.  
  
"But if you came with me when I told them and they saw how you've changed. . ."  
  
"There is no way in hell me, Malfoy, Slytherin, is going to show my 'soft side' to Potter and Weasley, Gryffindors, my sworn enemies. I've changed since we've been together, Hermione, we both know that, and apparently Ginny knows too. But it's only been three weeks; you can't expect me to change completely."  
  
Hermione looked down at the floor. "You're right, Draco. I'm sorry. I can't expect Harry and Ron to change so quickly either. But I do have to tell them, because if they hear it from Ginny they'll be even more mad."  
  
"Do you think they'll tell anyone else?" Draco asked.  
  
"Don't worry Malfoy," a sharp voice cut in.  
  
Hermione and Draco spun around to see Ron and Harry glaring at them both.  
  
"We won't tell anybody," Harry added coldly. 


	11. Chapter Eight The Feelings Are Returned

(A/N)- I'm glad you all enjoy the story! I think this chapter here is the longest ever. Keep reviewing! Tomfelton-luver, what is The True Love's story id #? I can't seem to find it! If any of you readers have stories written, please tell me the story id # because I would love to read your stories!  
  
Chapter Eight- The Feelings Are Returned  
  
The temperature in the hall seemed to turn ice cold.  
  
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione cried breathlessly. "Wh-I thought you were still eating breakfast!"  
  
"Dammit!" thought Draco. "Those bastards ruin everything!"  
  
"Hermione, we heard your whole conversation," Ron said coldly. He turned to Draco. "So. Malfoy. You've 'changed,' have you? Let's see if you still know how to fight!"  
  
Before anyone, including Draco, could stop him, Ron punched Draco hard in the jaw. Draco hit the floor but jumped right back up to shove Ron into Harry. This was actually a good thing, because Harry held Ron back while Hermione stopped Draco from pounding Ron's face in.  
  
"Stop it! Stop, both of you!" Hermione cried, desperately trying to mediate.  
  
"You're the one who turned on us, Hermione!" Ron shouted, struggling to wrench himself free of Harry's arms.  
  
"Apparently you heard everything so you've seen how he's changed!" Hermione shouted back, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
Ron shook Harry off. "Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy." He sneered and strode down the hall. Harry still had barely said a word, but his blazing eyes showed he was just as mad as Ron.  
  
"Please, Harry. After dinner, come to our common room. Please try to get Ron to come, I'm begging you." Hermione brushed away her tears.  
  
Harry glared down at her, about to tell her off, but at the look in her eyes he softened just a bit.  
  
"I'll try," he said shortly, and walked after Ron.  
  
Hermione sighed shakily, and turned to face Draco. She couldn't tell just what he was thinking; there was a mixture of hatred, jealousy, and hurt in his eyes as he watched Harry and Ron turn the corner. He faced Hermione.  
  
"Are you alright?" she whispered, examining his jaw.  
  
"I'm fine, it didn't hurt."  
  
Hermione smiled weakly, knowing perfectly well it did hurt. "Good," she said.  
  
"He started it, you know," Draco said defensively.  
  
"I know, but you have to remember they hate you just as much as you hate them," Hermione answered reasonably. "You would have done the same in their position."  
  
Draco shot her a look. "Sticking up for them, are you?"  
  
Hermione's furious restraint snapped. "And you, too, Draco!" she yelled. "I'm sticking up for you, too!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hermione was furious the rest of the day.  
  
"How dare they, all three of them!" she thought angrily as she tried to work on her Charms essay at lunch. "Don't they realize how hard this is for me?"  
  
Stronger than Hermione's feelings of anger were her feelings of fear. Hermione was afraid she would lose her best friends, and also afraid she would lose Draco. The thought of losing anybody was unbearable, so Hermione pushed her fear away and replaced it with anger.  
  
On the other side of Great Hall, Draco was having conflicting feelings as well. He still hated Ron and Harry, but he could see their rivalry was taking its toll on Hermione. Draco sighed. He'd already begun to open his heart to Hermione; these past few weeks their relationship had grown. Draco was experiencing new feelings when he was with her. When he wasn't with her, he was thinking about her.  
  
"How much more can I sacrifice for her?" he asked himself warily. But one look at Hermione glancing down the table at Harry and Ron, then searching the Slytherin table for him, convinced him of the answer he already knew.  
  
"I'm going to do it," he thought determinedly. "I'm going to do it for her."  
  
Draco hoped Hermione knew just what he was giving up.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night, after a stressful dinner, Hermione rushed to her common room, praying Harry had convinced Ron to come. Hermione entered the common room, put away her books, and sat down on the couch. She immediately jumped up and began to fluff up pillows and readjust rugs. Her straightening up continued for another few minutes until she realized cleaning would neither calm her nerves nor make anyone arrive faster.  
  
As soon as she sat back down, the portrait hole opened and Draco walked in. At the sight of him, Hermione immediately regretted shouting at him that morning.  
  
"Draco! I'm-I'm really glad you came first," she said. "I wanted to apologize for yelling at you this morning, maybe it looked to you like I was on Harry and Ron's side, but really I was just trying-"  
  
"It's all right," Draco said quickly, realizing he didn't have time to hear a long explanation. He glanced at the door, aware that time was wasting. "Listen, I want to tell you something before they show up."  
  
At that moment, the portrait hole opened once again and in walked Ron, Harry, and Ginny. Ginny had come for Hermione's "moral support," she claimed, and already knew the password to let the boys in.  
  
Hermione tore her eyes away from Draco's disappointed look to examine Harry and Ron's expressions.  
  
"They still look really mad. . ." Hermione thought worriedly.  
  
"Well, my announcement will be a surprise to everyone," Draco thought as he sat down in his favorite armchair.  
  
Ron, Harry, and Ginny sat down on the couch, and Hermione stood up. The room was silent. Hermione couldn't help it; her anger of the day had given way to nervousness and fear.  
  
"Get a grip, Hermione," she thought as she forced herself to stop wringing her hands.  
  
"All right. Well, th-the reason we're all here is because-Ron, stop glaring at me like that!" Hermione's anger returned as she put her hands on her hips. "Here's the deal! Draco and I have been going out since the beginning of the school year, and Ginny has known since then."  
  
"We know," said Harry, frowning at Ginny. He and Ron were obviously angry at Ginny for not telling them about Hermione and Draco sooner. Hermione realized this, and it only infuriated her more.  
  
"Don't you dare be mad at Ginny, either of you!" Hermione yelled as she marched over to Harry and Ron. "She was just being a good friend to me, and she was going to tell you on October 1st! She was torn between me and you two, and now I'm torn between you two and Draco. I know exactly how she feels so lay off!"  
  
Ron jumped up. "You were the one who-"  
  
"Don't start with me, Ron-"  
  
"Stop!" yelled Draco. He had decided that it was a good time to make his announcement before things got really ugly.  
  
All were silent at this unexpected outburst.  
  
Draco swallowed and took a deep breath.  
  
"Stop!" he thought to himself. "Don't do this, your father will hate you!"  
  
"He already hates me." Draco contradicted himself in his mind while the others were waiting for him to speak. "I'm doing this for her."  
  
Draco stood up. "Let me make it clear to everyone that I'm only doing this for Hermione, not you two prats. I still hate you both as much as ever." At this, Ron sat up stiffly and answered, "Don't worry Malfoy, the feelings are returned."  
  
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. He turned to Hermione. "You better appreciate what I'm about to do, because I wouldn't do it for anyone else," he warned.  
  
Hermione nodded, unsure of what he was doing but knowing it was something important.  
  
Draco turned back to Ron and Harry. "I've decided to-to be civilized to you two this year so Hermione won't have to choose between us all the time," Draco finished quickly. "But don't either of you think it's because I like you."  
  
Hermione stared at him, realizing how hard it was for him to step down to Ron and Harry. She walked over to him, shocked. She forgot that anyone else was in the room.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him.  
  
Draco held her close. "Ron's glaring at us, Hermione," he whispered, looking over her shoulder. Hermione remembered where she was, and turned toward Ron and Harry. Harry was staring from Hermione to Draco, with a look of almost amazement in his eyes.  
  
"Ron," he said, poking Ron in the arm but keeping his eyes on Hermione and Draco, who glanced uncertainly at each other. "Could I see you in the hall for a moment?"  
  
The two walked out, and Ginny stood up. She winked at Hermione before following the boys into the hall.  
  
"Ron, did you see what he did?" Harry was asking as Ginny stepped into the hall.  
  
"Yeah, he was trying to suck up to Hermione," Ron muttered.  
  
"No, he was backing down from us, for Hermione! When has Malfoy ever backed down, and when has Hermione ever hugged anybody like that? She never hugged Seamus like that, and they dated for six months! I know it's crazy Ron, but I don't think Draco is fooling her, or us. He wouldn't swallow his pride like that for her unless he really cared about her."  
  
Ron was still reluctant. "Maybe you're right, Harry, but I just can't get used to the idea of being chummy with Malfoy. After all, he's still Malfoy."  
  
"I know, I still hate him, too. But we don't have to be best friends with him, we just have to be civil to him. Come on Ron, you can see just as well as I can that it would mean a lot to Hermione. He did it for her; we can, too."  
  
Ron sighed. "Fine," he muttered reluctantly. "But only for her."  
  
"Right," Harry agreed. "Only for her."  
  
"And if he hurts her, we get to beat the hell out of him."  
  
"Right," Harry agreed again.  
  
"All right, let's go swallow our own pride," Ron said sarcastically, then climbed back into the portrait hole. Ginny was about to follow him, but she was stopped by Harry's arm blocking her way.  
  
"Ginny, I'm really sorry for being angry with you. I can see why you kept it from us, given the way we acted."  
  
Ginny smiled and kissed Harry deeply. "It's all right, Harry. I forgive you, as long as you keep your promise to Hermione."  
  
"I will," said Harry. The two entered the common room.  
  
Harry rejoined Ron, and Ron turned to Hermione. "We've decided, for your sake only, to be reasonably polite to Mal-Draco, as long as he is to us."  
  
Hermione sighed with relief. She stood back and surveyed the three boys. "So, it's agreed that all three of you are going to tolerate each other, meaning no more fights and you're going to call each other by your first names?"  
  
All three boys nodded uncomfortably. This idea was going to take some getting used to.  
  
Hermione grinned. "Thank you so much, all of you. This is such a burden lifted off me!" She stopped and gasped. "Oh my gosh! That Charms essay is due tomorrow, and I haven't revised it at all!" She ran up her stairs to her room, yelling "See you guys tomorrow!" behind her.  
  
Draco watched her go, then sat down and began to take out his own homework, hoping Harry and Ron would leave him the hell alone.  
  
"I hope you know. . . Draco . . . that Harry and I are going to beat the hell out of you if you break her heart," Ron said through his teeth.  
  
"I hope you know. . . Ron. . . that I have no intention of doing so," Draco answered.  
  
"Good," said Harry curtly. Ron swept out of the room, followed by Harry.  
  
Ginny was the last to go. "She really cares for you, Draco. And she knows what you sacrificed tonight."  
  
"I know she does. I just hope this works, because I better not have backed down for nothing," Draco answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
  
"You didn't. I'm glad to see you return her feelings." Ginny walked to the portrait, and smiled at Draco as she closed the portrait hole behind her.  
  
Draco resumed taking out his homework. He paused, and stared up at Hermione's closed bedroom door. He returned her feelings, all right. There was no doubt about that. 


	12. Chapter Nine A Visit to Hogsmeade

(A/N)- This is the last chapter until probably August 10th because I'll be on vacation, but I'll write during the vacation so there will be a few new chapters when I return. Thanks for your patience and keep reviewing! And for some reason when I upload a chapter all the quotation marks and apostrophes showed up with a lot of strange symbols so I just took out all the quotation marks and apostrophes. I'm sorry for the bad punctuation but it was basically unreadable with all the weird symbols., as you can tell in this author's note.  
  
Chapter Nine- A Visit to Hogsmeade  
  
Harry, Ron, and Draco were true to their word, and Hermiones life became much easier. Gone were the days of her lying and sneaking around. She spent more time with Ginny, Harry, and Ron in the Gryffindor common room in the evenings, but made sure she spent time with Draco as well. Hermiones schoolwork even improved. She was busier than she had ever been in her whole life, and she had never been happier.  
  
Draco! Hermione called as she entered their common room one evening in early October. Dumbledore finally told me the date of the first Hogsmeade trip!  
  
Draco jogged down his stairs to kiss Hermione hello.  
  
Took him long enough, Draco said as he sat down next to Hermione on the couch.  
  
I know. Hermione glanced down. I promised Ron and Harry and Ginny I would shop with them for a while.  
  
Draco looked away as well. Their contract was still a touchy subject.  
  
Well, its fine, because if anyone saw us together in public they might guess what's going on, Draco said.  
  
But I want to spend some time there with you, too. Would it be the worst thing in the world to be seen with me in public? asked Hermione, slightly hurt.  
  
No, other than the fact that someone would tell my father, who would then. . . Draco stopped in mid-sentence.  
  
Would then what? Hermione persisted.  
  
Nothing, said Draco, angry at himself because he almost revealed his darkest secret. He would just be mad, is all.  
  
So its impossible for us to be together in public, even just for a short while in Hogsmeade? Hermione asked, still hurt.  
  
Draco sighed with slight annoyance. Hermione, dont assume Im ashamed of you, because Im not. And I do want to be with you, eventually in public, but for now couldnt we just meet at The Hogs Head in private? Draco pleaded.  
  
Hermione hesitated, then realized if their roles were switched, she wouldnt want Lucius finding out about them either. Understanding this, Hermione smiled, all her hurt gone.  
  
That would be fine. Lets meet at four oclock, Ill be sick of shopping by then.  
  
Draco smiled back, glad to steer the conversation away from the subject of his father. That was close, Malfoy, he warned himself. He trusted Hermione, but not enough to tell her about his father yet.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The week flew by and it was already Saturday. Hermione left the common room early to meet up with the boys and Ginny, but before she left she kissed Draco goodbye and reminded him: Four oclock. As she was walking down the hall, she smiled because she wouldnt have to lie to Harry and Ron and Ginny about where she was going at four oclock. She could just tell them the truth, and that would be that.  
  
Meanwhile, Draco was not as anxious to meet up with his friends. He had always tolerated Crabbe and Goyle, but after seeing Hermione with Ginny, Ron, and Harry, he had a better understanding of what true friends were. After realizing this, he became more annoyed than usual with Crabbe and Goyle, and the familiar feeling of loneliness had settled into his stomach whenever he was with them. No, Draco was not looking forward at all to this day. He groaned when he realized that Pansy would be tagging along with them, and although it would be easy to abandon Crabbe and Goyle at four oclock, it would be much harder to lose Pansy.  
  
Draco sighed. He might as well get this day over with.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
There was, indeed, a stark contrast between Hermiones and Dracos moods at five minutes to four oclock. Hermione had had a wonderful time that day; the sun was shining brightly, the sky was a deep blue, and she had just spent the day laughing and shopping with her best friends. Now she was going to spend time with her boyfriend. Hermione didnt even mind the fact that she was meeting him in secret; the day was just perfect.  
  
Draco, on the other hand, had nothing to smile about. Crabbe and Goyle would not stop their incessant bickering, and Pansy threw herself upon him the entire day. Draco was at the end of his nerves when Crabbe and Goyle finally decided to leave early for Hogwarts, due to their stomachaches from all the candy they had bought and eaten. Draco sighed inwardly with relief. Now he only had Pansy to deal with.  
  
Ohhh, Draco! Look at that cute little stuffed dragon in Honeydukes! Dont you want to buy that for me, darling? Pansy had taken to calling Draco darling, and Draco felt he was going to scream if he heard that word one more time.  
  
No, Pansy, Draco muttered through gritted teeth. I dont want to buy you anything, much less a stuffed dragon. An idea suddenly struck him. But Pansy, dont you want to buy me something for my birthday? Draco asked in a phony sweet voice.  
  
Pansy looked confused. But Draco, I thought your birthday was in the spring.  
  
Draco hesitated, thinking. Well Pansy, I dont know where you got that idea, he said quickly, unable to think of an excuse fast enough. Its tomorrow, and you dont even have a present for me. Draco successfully pulled a fake hurt look.  
  
Oh darling, forgive me! Ill go look right now! Ill get you the best present in the world! Pansy hurried off, chiding herself for her poor memory.  
  
Draco laughed quietly. Shed be gone for a good long while, searching for the perfect present. Needless to say, his mood had changed dramatically.  
  
Draco whistled carelessly as he glanced around the street, then slowly walked towards The Hogs Head. No use drawing attention, he thought to himself.  
  
Draco entered The Hogs Head at two minutes past four oclock. He searched the room for Hermione, noting the other patrons, then located her at the very back table. Hermione smiled as Draco sat across from her.  
  
I saw you in Zonkos with Crabbe and Goyle and Pansy, Hermione said. You had the most awful look on your face, like you wanted to strangle Pansy. Hermione laughed at the memory.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. She was maddening today. Shes decided to call me darling, and its driving me insane.  
  
She seemed pretty attached to you, how did you manage to get rid of her?  
  
Draco smiled. I told her it was my birthday tomorrow, and she hadnt gotten me a present yet. She left in search of one; Im sure it will take her the rest of the day.  
  
Hermione giggled. So when is your birthday? she asked. She mentally scolded herself for not asking sooner. What if she had missed it?  
  
April 14, 1980, he answered. What about you?  
  
November 16, 1980, she said. [A/N- Actually Hermiones birthday is September 19, but I forgot to add that into the story so in my story its November 16.]  
  
The two chatted on, unaware of the customers around them.  
  
Meanwhile, Pansy had spent the last half hour searching for her darling. Unfortunately, she had found Dracos perfect gift in the first shop she came to, only a few minutes after leaving him. She had then hunted unsuccessfully for him throughout Hogsmeade. However, Pansy got lucky when she bumped into an old man coming out of The Hogs Head.  
  
Where are you going in such a hurry, missy? The man was stooped over, walking with a black cane. He had a very craggy face, and Pansy was a bit intimidated.  
  
Im. . . Im looking for my boyfriend, she stammered. Hes about my age, very handsome. Have you seen him?  
  
Does he have shiny blonde hair? Kinda tall? The man asked in a gruff voice.  
  
Yes, have you seen him? Pansy asked eagerly.  
  
The man grunted and pointed inside The Hogs Head. In there, in the back, with a pretty girl, about your age. The man chuckled. Sorry, missy, but if hes your boyfriend it looks like hes runnin around, cause he and that girl were awful close.  
  
Pansy was fuming. Who is she? she thought furiously. Pansy acted like a ditz around boys, but she wasnt as dumb or as shallow as she appeared to be. She marched through the door and searched the back of the room, her eyes landing on Draco. She couldnt quite see the girl who was with him due to the shadows, but she was determined to find out. Pansy noticed there was a small hallway leading into the main room from the back, not too far from Dracos table, and she hoped that it was the entrance to the pub from the back. Pansy crept back out the front door, then around the building to where the back door should be. She almost yelped in delight when she found it right away, but groaned when she saw a rusty lock preventing her entrance. Pansy was about to turn away to use the front door again when she spotted a large rock near the door. She rolled the rock over, and to her delight found the key she suspected would be there.  
  
Really, they shouldnt make it so easy to find, Pansy thought as she quietly unlocked the door. Little by little she opened it, but stopped immediately when the door hinges creaked loudly. Slowly, slowly she opened the door wide enough for her to fit inside. She skirted the wall to the edge, and peered around it. Sure enough, Draco was sitting at a table with. . .Granger! Pansy gasped slightly. She swung back around so she was completely out of sight, and waited breathlessly for one of them to discover her. Neither did, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. They must not have heard her. If she was very quiet, Pansy could just hear Draco talking.  
  
Youve been in the Gryffindor common room until eleven oclock the past two nights. How about spending this evening with me?  
  
Hermione laughed. Actually, I was planning on doing just that.  
  
Draco moved his chair around until he was sitting right next to her, both with their backs almost to Pansy.  
  
Were you now, he murmured quietly.  
  
Hermione glanced into his eyes, then blushed. This close flirting with Draco always gave her a very pleasant feeling. Two can play this game, she thought to herself.  
  
Hermione stared up at Draco, widening her eyes and turning on her charm. She kissed him softly, teasing him. He quickly pulled her into a deep kiss, desperate for more. At that moment, Pansy, aware of the sudden silence, peeked around the edge of the wall. Her mouth dropped open as she witnessed this very private moment.  
  
Hermione and Draco parted. Hermione was breathing heavily, amazed at the power of the kiss. Pansy bit her lip, unable to see anymore, and walked outside. She closed the door behind her as quietly as possible. Tears sprung to her eyes, but hatred for Hermione settled into her heart. Pansy frantically brushed away her tears and took a few deep breaths.  
  
Ill get her, she murmured. Pansy thought of all the ways she could get revenge against Hermione as she walked around the side of the building to return to Hogwarts, but drew back as she saw Hermione begin to walk down the road alone.  
  
Of course, thought Pansy. She and Draco are leaving separately so no one sees them together. Pansy waited for Draco to leave, so she could follow at a safe distance. A few minutes later, Draco walked out into the street, and despite her predicament Pansy remarked to herself how much Draco looked like his father in the late afternoon light.  
  
His father? Pansy smiled wickedly as an idea dawned on her. Lucius Malfoy would be furious to know that his only son is secretly dating a Mudblood, Pansy whispered softly. He would force them to break up. . .  
  
Pansys next destination would be the Owlery. 


	13. Chapter Ten Two Letters

(A/N)- Hello everyone, I'm back now! I know this chapter is really short, but it's just a teaser to keep you all interested. More chapters will be coming soon.  
  
Chapter Ten- Two Letters  
  
Mr. Lucius Malfoy-  
  
You may not know me, but I am sure you know my father, Carter Parkinson. I am his daughter Pansy, and I attend Hogwarts with your son. I have some information about Draco that I am sure you will find very upsetting, but I feel it is my duty to inform you. Today I witnessed a very personal moment between Draco and a girl; they were kissing. Since he is a teenage boy I know this doesn't sound very alarming, but the girl was none other than Hermione Granger. If you have any doubts of the validity of my account, just know that I am a Slytherin. I hope that says enough.  
  
Sincerely,  
Pansy Parkinson  
  
Pansy sealed the letter and attached it to her tawny owl Macbeth.  
  
"This letter is for Lucius Malfoy's eyes only," she warned the owl. Her stomach growled as she watched Macbeth fly out the window.  
  
"How the hell am I going to act normal around Draco now?" Pansy wondered as she made her way to Great Hall. She suddenly stopped with a sickening realization. If Draco kissed Hermione, it meant he wasn't at all interested in her, Pansy. Pansy had always known Draco never really liked her, but seeing him with Hermione forced her to admit it to herself. Pansy had hung on to the hope that Draco would some day learn to love her, but now that futile dream was smashed.  
  
Pansy wasn't feeling very hungry anymore. She quickly turned and headed towards her dormitory.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Macbeth wearily rapped on the window of Malfoy Manor. Lucius was eating breakfast alone, and rose to let in the owl from the chilly morning. Lucius untied the letter addressed to him, and Macbeth immediately began picking at Lucius' forgotten breakfast.  
  
Lucius quickly scanned the letter as he walked back to his seat. He finally absorbed the contents after a minute-long shock, and slammed his fist on the table, upsetting his plate and Macbeth. Macbeth stole one last piece of bacon before flying off in search of a more peaceful room.  
  
Having recovered from losing his cool, Lucius calmly removed his wand from his robe and summoned a quill and parchment from his desk in the room next door. He quickly wrote a note, reread it to make sure it said exactly what he wanted it to say, and glided out of the room in search of his own snowy white owl.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Draco-  
  
I would request your presence October 11th here at Malfoy Manor, seven o'clock sharp. There are things we need to discuss, namely your romantic relationships. Do not be late.  
  
-Lucius Malfoy  
  
Draco couldn't breathe. Someone saw. Someone had seen him and Hermione together, and now they had told Lucius.  
  
"Oh God," Draco moaned. The one thing that couldn't happen happened. Lucius knew, and Draco shook with fear. He couldn't refuse to go; Lucius would find him and the punishment would be doubled. No one defied Lucius and got away with it.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione's voice brought Draco back to his senses. "What's wrong? What does the note say?"  
  
Draco quickly crumpled the paper before Hermione could read it. "It's my father. He-He wants me to come home next Saturday." Draco stopped. He couldn't tell Hermione what was in store for him- she wouldn't let him leave if she knew.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry, Draco." Hermione sensed there was something Draco wasn't telling her, but she didn't want to push it. "Well, at least you'll only be gone one night."  
  
"Right. That's good," Draco answered in a calm voice. Inside, though, his stomach was churning.  
  
"I'll be right back, I forgot my book." Hermione jogged up her stairs. Draco barely even noticed she was gone.  
  
"How bad is it going to be this time?" Draco wondered frantically to himself. He reached behind his shoulder, and gently felt the hidden scars along his back. If Lucius was mad enough to cause those scars when Draco lost a Quidditch match, there was no telling what he would do this time. This time, the family's blood honor was at stake. This time, Draco feared, would be the worst of all. 


	14. Chapter Eleven Help from a Friend

Chapter Eleven- Help from a Friend  
  
Draco trembled as he packed a small bag for his one-night trip home. He knew Hermione was watching him closely, but try as he might he could not stop his hands from shaking.  
  
"Draco?" Hermione asked, concern for him clearly showing in her voice. "Are you sure you feel well enough to go on this trip?"  
  
Draco had told Hermione he was feeling poorly, which he hoped explained his strange, anxious behavior all week.  
  
"Of course," Draco answered. He wasn't sure if Hermione believed him; she gave him a very doubting look.  
  
"Well, if you're sure. . ." Hermione said slowly. She in fact didn't believe him, and knew he was hiding something important. Despite her best efforts, she could not get Draco to confide in her.  
  
"There," Draco said, finishing his packing. The two walked downstairs to the fireplace together. Draco turned to kiss Hermione good-bye, savoring the last bit of pleasure before facing the coming pain.  
  
"Draco," Hermione said quietly. "You don't have to go; you could stay here with me."  
  
Draco kissed her once more before staring into her eyes. "No, I have to go." With that he grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the fire. He stepped into the green flames and turned back to Hermione. He gave her a quick half-smile before shouting "Malfoy Manor!" and disappearing.  
  
Hermione turned away, and climbed back up the stairs to Draco's room. "Why won't he tell me what's wrong?" She thought sadly. "He was just beginning to really open up. . ." Hermione ran her fingers across Draco's chrome dresser, then spotted a discarded robe on the floor. She bent down to pick up the robe to hang in Draco's closet, but stopped when a small piece of parchment fluttered to the floor from the pocket of the robe. Hermione immediately recognized it as the crumpled note from Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"I know I shouldn't. . ." Hermione hesitated. "But something is wrong." She grabbed the note and read it quickly.  
  
The robe dropped from her hands.  
  
"Oh God," she muttered hoarsely. "He knows."  
  
At that moment, Hermione heard a knock at the portrait hole. She stared at the note once more in horror, then stuffed it in her pocket and went to answer the door, her legs shaking beneath her.  
  
"Miss Granger!" Dobby cried as he flung himself at Hermione. "How are you, how is S.P.E.W.?"  
  
"Dobby. . . Dobby, it's wonderful to see you, but now is really not the best time for a visit-"  
  
"Is something wrong, Miss Granger?" Dobby asked inquiringly. His huge, green eyes stared deeply into Hermione's brown ones.  
  
"No, no, not at all Dobby," Hermione answered quickly averting her eyes. "Please, come sit down."  
  
As Dobby chattered away happily about this and that, Hermione's mind wandered.  
  
"I have to get to him," she thought determinedly. "Floo Powder is too obvious, I don't want Lucius to find me. Maybe I could sneak in! But someone would have to open the gate, I don't believe the Alohomora charm would work at Malfoy Manor. . . if only a servant could open the door, but I don't know any- Dobby!"  
  
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Dobby asked timidly, quite taken aback by this sudden burst of noise.  
  
"Quick Dobby, do you still know how to get inside Malfoy Manor? From when you were unjustly kept as a slave?"  
  
"Of course. The elder Malfoy has his own key, but the house-elves use their own special magic to get in-"  
  
"Dobby, I need your help. You must come with me and let me inside Malfoy Manor today."  
  
"Certainly, Miss Granger, but wouldn't you rather use Floo Powder?"  
  
"No, it has to be secret. No one must know I'm there." Hermione paused, trying to remember a long forgotten fact. "Doesn't Vincent Crabbe live near there? We'll use Floo Powder to get into his house, then walk to Malfoy Manor. You're sure you'll be able to let me in?"  
  
"Very sure, Miss Granger."  
  
"Good, then let's go!" Hermione grabbed Dobby's arm, then threw some Floo Powder into the fire. She jumped in, accidentally dragging Dobby across the ashes in her haste. She opened her mouth to yell her destination, but realized she didn't know the name of Crabbe's house. She looked frantically at Dobby, afraid to speak, but luckily Dobby sensed her question and shouted "Crabbe Hall!"  
  
Hermione was so concerned about Draco, she barely noticed the jolting ride. "That's why he was acting so strangely," she thought to herself. "I should have pried more, I should have made him tell me what was wrong. I could have stopped him. What if he's hurt now? What am I going to do once I'm inside?" Right then Hermione and Dobby were thrown from the fire into a dark, dank room inside Crabbe Hall. They stood and dusted themselves off before admiring the Gothic-inspired furniture. Hermione gazed around only for a moment before grabbing Dobby's arm and leading him out into the hall. She searched down the hall for a staircase leading to the main floor, and finally found it at the very end, near a grimy window. Hermione bolted down the stairs, followed by Dobby. "We should find the back door," Hermione thought quickly. She figured the back door would be located in the kitchen, and luckily the kitchen was much easier to find than the stairs.  
  
"Dobby, you go in first to make sure it is only house-elves in the kitchen. Whistle if it's clear, and I'll come in. We need to leave through the back door."  
  
"Right," Dobby whispered. "Miss Granger, do you mind me asking what exactly we're doing? Why are we trying to sneak into Malfoy Manor?"  
  
Hermione was not interested in explaining her secret love life to Dobby right then, so she made up a quick excuse.  
  
"Secret S.P.E.W. work," she replied. "Very classified, don't tell anybody. Now go!"  
  
Dobby nodded very importantly and crept into kitchen. Hermione impatiently waited until she heard a low whistle, then raced into the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks at the staggering number of house-elves staring at her.  
  
"One day I will free you all, but right now I must go! Come on Dobby, there's no time to waste!"  
  
Hermione ran out the back door, and shut it soundly once Dobby got out.  
  
"Now Dobby, how do you get to Malfoy Manor from here?"  
  
"Going on the main road would be no good, that would only lead us to the front gate. We have to go through this little forest here along the path, that will lead us right to the back gate."  
  
Hermione looked uneasily into the dark woods. Dobby chuckled. "Don't worry, Miss Granger, it's perfectly safe. We'll be there in no time."  
  
Hermione took a deep breath and led the way along the path. The woods were very dark, even in the daytime, but Hermione distracted herself by telling Dobby he needed to stay with the house-elves while she took care of some top secret business.  
  
"When we get there, Dobby, you must tell the house-elves all about S.P.E.W. while I find Lucius. Once we're inside the kitchen, how do I get to his office?"  
  
"Simple, Miss Granger. You go up the stairs to the right of the kitchen, then turn left. His office is the second door on the right. Ah, here we are."  
  
Hermione gasped slightly as she stopped at the end of the path. The size of Malfoy Manor was impressive; it loomed in front of her like a stony tidal wave. The back gate was right in front of her, and she turned to Dobby.  
  
"Can you open the gate, Dobby?"  
  
Dobby smiled. "It already is."  
  
Sure enough, Hermione easily pushed the gate doors open and stepped onto the grounds. "How did you do that, Dobby?"  
  
"House-elves have their own kind of magic, Miss Granger. We need neither wands nor words."  
  
Hermione grinned, then remembered why she was there. She crept quickly across the grounds, wishing she had thought to borrow Harry's Invisibility Cloak. She reached the back door and pushed it open quietly, knowing Dobby had already used his special magic to unlock it. The door creaked slightly, but Hermione pushed farther and stepped inside Malfoy Manor. 


	15. AN

(A/N)- I know you will be disappointed to see that this update is just an Author's Note, but I feel that I have to explain my absence. The day after I posted the last chapter there was a tragic unexpected death in my family. Needless to say I didn't feel much like writing. I'm still in mourning but I am recovering so hopefully soon I will have a new chapter. 


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